Our Rotary Club Partners

Comber

Judy Sinclair and Hugh Kirkwood

Judy first joined Comber Rotary in 2004 and soon
became the Youth chair. Although Rotary has always had a Young Chef competition she believes the
Generation Chef competition has put young chefs on a new level throughout

As Chair of Comber Rotary Club’s Youth Services group, Hugh has enjoyed six years of organising competitions like Young Writer, Young Musician, Youth Leadership, and Young Sailor, as well as mock job interviews for secondary students.

Ballymena

Peter Chestnutt and Debbie Chestnutt BEM

Husband and wife, President Peter Chestnutt and Rotarian Debbie Chestnutt BEM from the Rotary Club of Ballymena, are proud to be involved in the Rotary Generation Chef Project.

Peter, a retired Director of Engineering, is actively engaged in the club’s charitable and community initiatives.

Debbie, the main point of contact for the competition, has been a Rotary member since 2016, serving as International Chair for six years and as President-Elect for 2025/26. She works for Good Morning Ballymena, a charity supporting the elderly, and was awarded the BEM by the King in 2023. With 25 years of experience as a Catering Manager for major companies, along with running a successful children's soft play business, she has a deep passion for cooking and catering. She looks forward to representing the NRC and the Rotary Club of Ballymena at the inaugural Generation Chef competition.

Enniskillen

Catherine Johnson and John Trimble

John first joined the Rotary Club of St. Asaph in North Wales before moving to Co. Fermanagh in 1997, where he became a member of the Rotary Club of Enniskillen. He served as secretary for three years and later as club president in 2004/05. For a decade until 2023/24, he held the role of Foundation Chair, successfully meeting the club’s financial commitments to the Annual Fund and End Polio Now, with the club twice winning the district foundation trophy. Honored to be elected for a second term as president in 2025/26, he looks forward to another impactful year of service and fellowship.

Lisburn

Trevor Stewart, Henry Wilson MBE and Patrick Coyle

Trevor, a qualified chef with vast experience in hospitality and food service, is well-connected in the catering industry throughout Ireland. As the lead project manager for the Rotary Generation Chef competition, he plays a key role in fostering young culinary talent.

Henry, with extensive experience in clothing manufacturing and sales across Ireland, is an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Lisburn and actively participates in various Rotary projects, including fundraising through speaking engagements.

Patrick, a longtime Rotary member and retailer/wholesaler in the fashion industry, has led the annual charity golf day, raising over £120K for worthy causes.

Belfast

Heather Shiell

Heather, a native of Saintfield, County Down, studied at Belfast Art College before working in shop fitting and graphic design. After marrying Chris and starting a family, she lived in Portugal and Dublin, where she engaged in charity work and earned a master’s in Heritage Management from UCD.

Upon returning to Northern Ireland after 22 years, she was introduced to Rotary and embraced its mission of supporting charities and organizations locally and globally. Passionate about service, she is dedicated to initiatives like the Generation Chef competition, which aims to inspire and support aspiring young chefs in Northern Ireland.

Derry

John Macrossan

John is the current Club President of Derry and has had decades of service within Rotary. He has held district posts within Rotary Ireland and was responsible for helping to organize two Rotary 1160 Annual District Conferences in the city. His passion for making positive change in people's lives is well documented and he has been a keen advocate for Rotary`s End Polio Now.

Newry

Eóin McConville, Patrick Loughran and Raymond Mullan

Solicitor, Eóin, has been an active Newry Rotary Club member since 2017 and embraces Rotary’s "Service above Self" philosophy. He supports many initiatives including Generation Chef, which provides young chefs with culinary and commercial experience.

Patrick, a retired NHS Consultant Anaesthetist and current Secretary of the Newry Rotary Club, appreciates Rotary’s role in fostering young talent through competitions like Generation Chef.

Raymond, former Chief Executive of Newry College and Belfast Metropolitan College, is also an active club member, contributing his experience in education to support such initiatives.